The present invention relates to an arrangement for guiding a mining machine, for instance a coal planer or the like in an underground mine gallery along a conveyor in which the bottom plate of the mining machine extends below the conveyor and is guided by means of an elongated cylindrical guide member, extending in the direction of the conveyor, fixedly attached to the end portion of the bottom plate and arranged in a guide channel parallel to the conveyor, while the mining machine is reciprocated along the conveyor by means of an endless chain having an upper and a lower run, which are respectively guided in chain guide means connected to the side of the conveyor opposite the mine face and having two separated superimposed channels for respectively guiding the upper and the lower run of the endless chain.
In all known machine guide means arranged on the side of the conveyor opposite the mine face, the lower chain guide channel serves also for guiding the mining machine and is therefore subjected to multiple stresses since the flexible chain and the rigid cylindrical guide member which is connected to the bottom plate of the mining machine will exert essentialy different stresses onto the chain guide. Since the conveyor, during the movement thereof towards the mine face and due to the shape of the sole of the mine gallery, is deviated at the ends of the successive conveyor sections in horizontal and vertical direction, the elongated cylindrical guide member which is fixedly connected to the bottom plate will be twisted through the guide channel and create wedging forces which will lead to an enlargement of the guide slots in the guide channel. In the known constructions the cylindrical guide member is connected to the bottom plate in such a manner that the guide member will also be subjected to a vertical moment which must be taken up by the lower guide channel for the chain. This will result to a considerable wear of the cooperating elements which will reduce the useful life of the mining machine guide. Furthermore, in the known constructions, the guide channels have usually rectangular cross-sections, which will lead to an accumulation of coal dust within the guide channels, with the resulting increase of the wear thereof.